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Dragon Riders
The Dragon Riders (Shur'tugal in the Ancient Language) were a coalition of elves, humans and dragons formed at the end of the Pre-Rider War. The Riders and their dragons were responsible for maintaining peace throughout the land of Alagaësia. All Riders were able to use magic, and were respected and honored by the people they served. History The Pre-Rider War Before the coming of Men and Elves to Alagaësia, the Dwarves freely roamed the land, establishing glorious kingdoms. Along with the Dwarves, Alagäesia was home to many other creatures, including Dragons. Nearly a hundred years later, the Elves came to Alagaësia from across the sea. From the first, there was animosity between the Elves and the dragons. This animosity came to a point when a foolish young elf hunted down a dragon and killed it, thinking of it as mere game. Outraged by what happened, the Dragons banded together and attacked the Elves, beginning a long and brutal war. Over time, the conditions of the war did not improve, but worsened, due to the lack of communication between the Elves and the Dragons. This problem was solved when an elf named Eragon found a dragon egg and raised the creature inside as his own. He named it Bid'Daum and he became the first Dragon Rider. Once Eragon's dragon grew large enough to carry his weight, and Eragon's powers became strong enough, the pair began traveling all over Alagaësia, making peace between the two races. During their travels, they convinced the Elves and the Dragons to form and sign treaties and live in peace with one another. and his dragon, Saphira ]] The Riders' era Because of how useful Eragon the Shur'tugal proved to be, the dragons began giving the Elves two or three eggs a year, and the baby dragons chose to hatch for the Elf (or, later, human) most suited to them. The purpose of this exchange was to keep peace between the different races, and ensure a way of communication. Over time, the Shur'tugals' power grew, gaining them greater respect than was given to any king, queen, or other ruler in all of Alagaësia. This peace lasted for hundreds of years. Then a headstrong young rider named Galbatorix, several companions, and their dragons ventured into the Spine on a dare. They party was ambushed by Urgals, and all were slain, save for Galbatorix. Driven mad by the loss of his dragon, Galbatorix eventually found his way back to Vroengard, the Riders' capital, and demanded another egg from the Council. The Council realised that his mind was unstable, and denied his demand. This only drove Galbatorix further into his deranged madness, and he came to believe it was the Riders' fault his dragon had died. Desiring revenge for this supposed wrong, he began plotting the downfall of the Riders. The fall of the Riders Galbatorix found an ally in a sympathetic Rider, and incited him - using dark secrets learned from a Shade - to kill an Elder. When the deed was done, he turned on his ally and slew him. He then fled into the wild, biding his time. After a time, he met a young Rider named Morzan, and convinced him to join his cause, teaching him dark magic "that should never be revealed". Morzan left open the gate to Ilirea, enabling Galbatorix to steal Shruikan, a young black dragon, and kill Shruikan's rightful Rider. He and Morzan, along with twelve other corrupt Riders called the Forsworn, known by the elves as Wyrdfell, took the Dragon Riders at unawares and overthrew them, bringing an end to the peace they had established in Alagaësia. Galbatorix personally beheaded Vrael, head of the Riders. He also killed the rightful king of the Broddering Kingdom and took the title for himself, establishing the Empire. The Riderless period Only two Dragon Riders escaped the Downfall. One of these, Brom, helped found the Varden, a rebel organization. The other, Oromis, remained with the Elves, waiting until a new Rider would emerge. Brom and his friend, a scholar named Jeod, eventually formed a plan to steal the last three dragon eggs in existence, which had been taken by Galbatorix. The mission was somehow foiled, and their thief returned with only a single, blue dragon egg. After this, Brom remained incognito, living in disguise as a storyteller in the small village of Carvahall; Jeod went to Teirm and established himself in the merchant business. The egg they had recoverd was carried between the Varden in Farthen Dûr and the elves in Ellesméra by an elf named Arya, in the hopes that the dragon would choose either an elf or a human for which to hatch. Arya was eventually captured by a Shade, Durza, an agent of the Empire. Before being taken, however, she managed to teleport the egg towards Carvahall, hoping that it would come to Brom. The egg, however, did not reach Brom. A 15-year-old boy named Eragon found it in the Spine and mistook it for a precious blue stone. He took it into the village and had it examined by one of the traders passing through, but the stone could not be identified or its value determined. Later, the egg hatched for Eragon, and the gedwëy ignasia was placed on his palm. The Riders were reborn. The new Riders Apart from Glaedr, the dragon of Oromis, and Shruikan, the dragon of King Galbatorix, only three dragons remain: two hatched and one unhatched. Only one the five remaining dragons is female, Saphira, the dragon of Eragon. The other hatched dragon is Thorn, whose rider is Murtagh. One male, green dragon remained unhatched and in Galbatorix's possession. Galbatorix wanted to establish his own order Dragon Riders, to serve him; to do so, he needed Saphira. Eragon's goal, on the other hand, was to rebuild the Riders to what they once were. The fate of the Riders hung in the balance throughout the New Rider War. The Thirteen Forsworn The Forsworn were the group of corrupt Dragon Riders who aided Galbatorix in overthrowing the old order. Morzan was the first of their number. Brom, a Dragon Rider himself, slew Morzan and two other Forsworn, and was indirectly responsible for the deaths of five more. Eventually, all of the Forsworn died off or were killed. The blade of a Rider When a Rider finished his training, the Elves would present him with a sword. These swords were not just any swords - they were forged by the elf Rhünon, widely considered to be the best smith in Alagaësia, and were some of the best hand-crafted swords ever made. The Elves' methods of forging have always remained a secret. The Dragon Rider's swords were eternally sharp and never stained. The Elves' custom was to have the sword's color match the color of the Rider's Dragon. The swords were generally three feet long, with blades tinted to resemble the color of their Dragon's scales. The swords are very heavy for all but the Riders, who would go nowhere without them. Ranks and titles This section may contain conjecture. During the zenith of the Dragon Riders' era, a Rider achieved various titles or ranks of authority to show his specialty. *'High Dragon Rider' - the supreme authority in the order. Eragon I, Vrael, and Eragon Shadeslayer were all considered High Dragon Riders. *'Council Member' - leaders under the High Dragon Riders. Council Members made the crucial decisions for the order. *'Dragon Rider Warrior' - Riders who specialized in combat. *'Magician Rider' - Riders who were skilled in magic and wizard dueling. Galbatorix is considered one of these gifted Riders. *'Sage Rider' - philosophers and thinkers among the order. Oromis was considered a sage. *'Rider Ambassadors' - Riders who would work as go-betweens among the different races and peoples. List of Riders and dragons Category:Organizations Category:Magic users Category:Dragon Riders Category:Occupations